In brief: Jones takes one-shot lead at Pebble Beach
The celebrity watch at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in Pebble Beach, Calif., took place everywhere but the top of the leaderboard Thursday.
Kent Jones birdied the two most famous par 3s at Pebble Beach and kept bogeys off his card for a 6-under 66 and a one-shot lead, an encouraging start for someone who has played 270 tournaments over the last decade on the PGA Tour without finishing in the top five.
The star gazing took place at Poppy Hills, and while it didn’t always produce great golf to match the spectacular sunshine on the Monterey Peninsula, it was entertaining.
Defending champion Phil Mickelson was on the verge of shooting himself out of the tournament until a birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie burst enabled him to recover with a 71 and stay in the game. Greg Norman, playing on the PGA Tour for the first time in 18 months, was holding steady until a four-putt on the 13th hole for a double bogey. He finished with a 76.
Football
Man planned shooting
A would-be bar owner angry at being denied a liquor license threatened to shoot people at the Super Bowl in Phoenix, and drove to within sight of the stadium with a rifle and 200 rounds of ammunition before changing his mind, federal authorities said.
Kurt William Havelock, who ultimately turned himself in, had vowed to “shed the blood of the innocent” in a manifesto mailed Sunday to media outlets, according to court documents. “No one destroys my dream,” he wrote.
“Quarterback Shaun Hill re-signed with the San Francisco 49ers, affirming his plan to compete with Alex Smith for the starting job next fall.
“Arizona coach Mike Stoops apologized for saying that Arizona State has “turned into a JC.”
Stoops apologized for a comment made during a football signing day news conference on Wednesday in Tucson. He said some recruits had told him that it was easier to earn acceptance at ASU than at Arizona.
“Each school has to recruit to that school and what type of academic requirements there are,” Stoops said then. “Obviously, Arizona State has turned into a JC and we are a four-year college. According to all the players, they say it is easier to go to school there, easier to get in. I thought we had the same requirements. It is news to me.”
“In Missoula, former Montana State wide receiver Richard Gatewood was sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison for his role in a Bozeman cocaine ring, the U.S. attorney’s office said.
“The NCAA is asking the presidents and chancellors of Division III schools about the feasibility of splitting the division or creating a new Division IV.
Miscellany
Humphrey suspended
Georgia guard Billy Humphrey was suspended for three games after being arrested for underage drinking, his second arrest in less than three months.
“The Breeders’ Cup will be held at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., the next two years, the first time thoroughbred racing’s showcase event will be run at the same track in consecutive years.